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Manga Drawing Course in Tokyo, Japan

Duration

4 - 12 weeks

Language requirements

English

Availability

Program start in January, April, July, & October

Age

15+

Price starts with

990 EUR 

Type of program

Skill Development Course

Do you want to learn skills in developing and drawing manga from professional manga artists? In Tokyo, we collaborate with Mangajuku, a leading manga school, and combine manga lessons with Japanese language lessons. You can participate for 4-12 weeks.
Description

Manga and Japanese Lessons

The drawing course is conducted by Mangajuku, a leading manga school in Jimbocho, central Tokyo. The school has produced several professional and well-known manga artists. A Japanese- and English-speaking coordinator will be present during the lessons to translate. You don't need any prior knowledge in manga drawing, but if you're already an ambitious hobbyist, that's also suitable! Over three months, there are a total of 16 lessons offered in the afternoons.

In the mornings, you will attend Japanese lessons from Monday to Friday for 4 x 45 minutes daily, with all levels from beginner to upper-intermediate offered.


Course Content

Weeks 1–4 (Lessons 1–5)

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Lesson 1: Course Orientation, Overview of Japanese Manga

Self-introduction of the participants. We will start with some exercises, including drawing with a dip pen, filling in, whitening out with liquid, and using screentones.

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Lesson 2: Faces of Manga Characters

How to draw manga faces. Deformation and expression techniques that show human emotions like joy, anger, worry, and satisfaction.

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Lesson 3: The Whole Character

Positioning techniques for the entire character, including head, body, and proportions, body deformations, and attractive poses.

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Lesson 4: Character Design 1

Methods of character design through fashion, body shape, and hairstyle.

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Lesson 5: Character Design 2

Drawing characters in different styles and themes of Japanese manga.

 

Weeks 5–8 (Lessons 6–10)  

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Lesson 6: Characters in Motion

Practice drawing characters in motion. Creating side compositions or compositions based on a previous composition.

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Lesson 7: Professional Character Design

We meet a professional manga artist who will talk about the typical work of a professional manga artist and their approach to character design.

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Lesson 8: How to Draw Backgrounds

Basic methodology for creating backgrounds, including clouds and skies, trees and leaves, seas and waves. Shaving technique using screentone.

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Lesson 9: Scene Allotment

Basic description of panel layout. Trial production of a one-page scene allotment based on an existing story.

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Lesson 10: Digital Production (Monochrome)

Drawing manga with the computer software "CLIP STUDIO PAINT".


Weeks 9–12 (Lessons 11–16 including Graduation Project and Excursion)

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Lesson 11: Graduation Project 1 - Monochrome (Draft)

Creating a cover page for your manga debut as a professional manga artist. Drafting with a pencil.

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Lesson 12: Graduation Project 2 - Pen Lining

Creating a cover page for your manga debut as a professional manga artist. Pen lining and adding the title (if handwritten).

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Lesson 13: Graduation Project 3 - Digital Colour (1)

Colouring the project work using a computer. Colouring the cover page.

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Lesson 14: Graduation Project 4 - Digital Colour (2)

Completion of the digitally coloured graduation project.

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Lesson 15: Excursion

An observation tour through Akihabara on the history of manga and videos related to manga drawing.

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Lesson 16: Final Comment and Graduation Ceremony

Review of graduation projects and professional feedback. Presentation of the course completion certificate.

 

Program details

Rates

Who can join

Anyone aged 15 and over can participate. No manga drawing skills or Japanese language knowledge are required.

Program start

There are fixed start dates for the course. These are:

Januar 14, 2025
April 7, 2025
July 7, 2025
October 6, 2025

If you book accommodation in our shared house or with a host family, you usually arrive on the Friday before the course starts. We will pick you up from Narita or Haneda Airport at no extra cost if your scheduled arrival time is between 8 AM and 8 PM.

Getting there

If you book accommodation at our sharehouse and you arrive on the Friday before the start of the cooking course at Haneda or Narita between 8 am and 8 pm, we will pick you up from the airport at no additional cost (accompanied by public transportation). If you arrive on other days/times, you can come to the sharehouse on your own.

Visa

Participation is possible through visa exemption (Temporary Visitor Status), which many nationalities get upon entering Japan for 90 days. 180 days, 30 days or 15 days.

  • 90 days: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United States and several others; please see the full list here: https://www.jrailpass.com/faq/temporary-visitor
  • 180 days: Austria, Liechtenstein, Ireland, Switzerland, UK, Germany; 30 days: UAE; 15 days: Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia.

    *Please note that we cannot prepare any supporting documents for a visa application.


Participation is also possible via the Working Holiday Visa and Student Visa.

Accommodation Options

Sharehouses in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Shiohama Sharehouse, Tokyo

Exclusively for World Unite! participants, we operate our own sharehouse accommodation in Tokyo, located near the Kiba subway station. Spread over three floors, the sharehouse features nine dormitory rooms of various sizes, each accommodating 4-8 people, as well as five double rooms. We try to separate the rooms by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed. There are two common areas with fully equipped kitchens, six showers, four toilets, and two bathrooms. We provide Wi-Fi on all floors at no extra cost. Modern air conditioning units ensure cooling and heating in all rooms. Additionally, for house residents, the City Hub premises of around 100 sqm on the ground floor are available as a communal area from the afternoon onwards, where you can use a foosball table, a big screen, and a music keyboard at no extra cost. The 140 sqm rooftop terrace, with an unobstructed view of Tokyo Skytree, features a covered seating area, hammocks, and greenery. House residents can also use a coin-operated washing machine, a dryer, and a free luggage storage room. Need a bicycle? You can rent one from us at affordable prices.

Warabi Sharehouse, Saitama

The Warabi sharehouse is situated in Saitama prefecture, within the Tokyo metropolitan area, and conveniently just a 15-minute walk from Warabi train station. This sharehouse offers 36 rooms, available for single, double, and 4-share occupancy, each equipped with air conditioning for cooling and heating, as well as a balcony. In the case of accommodation in twin or dorm rooms, we try to separate by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed.

You'll find a common lounging area with a TV and comfortable sofa, along with a fully equipped communal kitchen for your convenience. Each floor is equipped with toilets and sinks. A shower area separated for males and females with 6 shower booths is available on the ground floor. Wifi is accessible throughout the building, and the sharehouse also offers bicycle parking, 4 coin-operated washing machines, 2 coin-operated dryers, and a small ornamental Japanese garden. For added convenience, a supermarket, several convenience stores, and shopping malls are just a few minutes' walk away. Renting a bike is also possible at a reasonable price.

Our dedicated team members visit the Warabi Sharehouse at least three times a week to provide comprehensive support to our program participants.

Urayasu Sharehouse, Chiba

The Urayasu Sharehouse is located in Chiba Prefecture, within the Tokyo metropolitan area, just a 3-minute walk from the Tokyogakka Mae bus stop (approximately 9 minutes by bus or 25 minutes on foot to Shin-Urayasu Station). It is situated in an attractive residential neighborhood with palm-lined streets. Tokyo Disneyland, scenic parks along the bay, and large shopping malls are within walking distance. The area is of a high standard, featuring hotels such as the Disney Resort Hotels and the Hyatt Regency.

We occupy two floors of the sharehouse building, which includes one 6-person dormitory, two triple rooms, and five twin rooms. The twin rooms can also be booked for single occupancy. Most rooms are furnished in a Western style with beds; however, one twin room is Japanese-style, with futons. Some rooms have balconies. In shared rooms, we try to separate occupants by gender, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Residents also have access to a lounge, a dining area with a shared kitchen, 3 showers, 2 toilets, 2 coin-operated washing machines, an elevator, and a small outdoor area on the ground floor.


Host Families

Staying with a Japanese host family provides you with the ultimate opportunity to fully immerse yourself in everyday Japanese culture. Typically located in the outskirts of Tokyo and neighboring prefectures like Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, host families choose these areas as central Tokyo apartments seldom offer sufficient space to accommodate foreign guests alongside their own family. Commuting by train to internship placements, jobs, or language schools usually takes no more than an hour, with a monthly commuter ticket costing around 15,000-20,000 yen.

Your host family will serve you two meals (breakfast and dinner) on weekdays and three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on weekends. You will have the option to sleep on a western-style bed or experience the traditional Japanese futon. Typically, there will be someone in the host family who speaks basic English, and they are well-acquainted with welcoming foreign guests.

Extras

Read more

Book or Send an Inquiry

Selected program price
Choose Base Package
Choose Extension Time and Extras

5 weeks sharehouse dorm room accommodation (shared) in Tokyo without meals

+ 330.00 €

5 weeks sharehouse twin room accommodation (shared) in Tokyo without meals

+ 410.00 €

5 weeks sharehouse single room accommodation in Tokyo without meals

+ 500.00 €

5 weeks host family accommodation in Tokyo with 2 meals/day

+ 870.00 €

Extension week dorm room accommodation (shared) without meals

+ 70.00 €

Extension week twin room accommodation (shared) without meals

+ 90.00 €

Extension week single room accommodation without meals

+ 120.00 €

Extension week host family accommodation with 2 meals/day

+ 150.00 €

Airport pickup in Tokyo (Haneda/Narita, Fridays 8 AM - 8 PM)

+ 60.00 €
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What is included?

VM_WHAT_IS_INCLUDED?
  • Manga course, number of lessons as booked
  • 20x45 minutes of Japanese language lessons per week
  • Participation in World Unite! social meetup events (1x monthly) and language exchange events (2x monthly) as well as cultural events (1x monthly) at no extra cost!
  • All teaching materials for the language course
  • All materials for the Manga course
  • Access to our mobile-friendly Knowledge Base incl. videos and texts about your life in Japan
  • Zoom preparation session before your arrival
  • On arrival, pick up from Haneda or Narita Airport by public transport and drop to accommodation
  • Bilingual Contact person on site (English and Japanese) for any assistance
  • Support at our office or remotely (line, whatsapp, phone, email) during your time in Japan!
  • CO2 compensation of your long-haul flights: Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro

Not included?

VM_WHAT_IS_NOT_INCLUDED?
  • Accommodation (but you can book it as an extra!)
  • Meals (unless inlcuded in your accommodation plan)
  • Airport pick-up (guided pick-up upon arrival with public transport is included if you book our accommodation and land on a Friday between 8 AM and 8 PM)
  • Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Local Transport

INSIGHT

5 REASONS why to join
this program
 

Lessons at a leading manga school in Japan

 

Affordable accommodation can be booked

 

Program takes place at the epicenter of manga culture

 

Contact with many international travelers in the sharehouse

 

Participation in events, language exchange at no extra cost

contact zoe

Questions?

your consultant for this program is

Zoe Steinmeyer

(she/her)

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